Last month, the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau hosted an event formally announcing the Pyrotechnics Guild International (PGI) convention that will be held Aug. 10-17 at Cooper’s Lake Campground in Worth Township. The event featured comments by PGI’s president, and we shared the anticipated economic impact of this week-long event to Butler County. We expect approximately 150,000 visitors will travel here for the fireworks. That number includes PGI membership from around the world as well as people from throughout the region who will come to see four different public shows featuring two hours of amazing fireworks — displays that never have been seen before. Due to the complexity of hosting a fireworks event of this magnitude, the support and involvement of our elected officials was essential to ensure that PGI chose Butler County as its convention location. County Commissioners Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton, state Rep. Dick Stevenson, members of the Corbett administration, and director Mary Ann Eisenreich of the Governor’s Southwest Regional Office all were involved in ensuring that Butler County could host this special event. Their coordinated efforts will enable Butler County’s local economy to benefit from the influx of people who will attend the event and support restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, recreational facilities, retailers and more. Our bureau appreciates the capabilities of our elected leaders and the Corbett administration to work together so our county and its residents can experience the benefits of this event. They recognize the value of tourism here in Butler County and how vital the tourism industry is to our local economy. Tourism boosts our economy, employs thousands of people, enriches our businesses, and pays for important public services that are used jointly by residents and tourists. As we look ahead to the new year, I hope people will mark the event dates on their 2013 calendar and plan to attend the fireworks shows that will light up Butler County’s skies.